PATIENTS past and present from the Gobowen orthopaedic hospital are being encouraged to nominate their individual and team health heroes for a special Patient Choice Award.

The award will be presented at the hospital’s annual awards ceremony at the Lion Quays Hotel in November.

For the past three years, patients have been able to nominate individuals for a Patient Choice Award – but this year, a new Patient Choice Award category has been created for teams.

There are 17 categories in total, recognising individuals and teams from all across the specialist orthopaedic hospital, but the Individual and Team Patient Choice Awards are the only two where the public get to nominate and then vote for their winner.

Mark Brandreth, chief executive of the RJAH hospital says he believes that adding an award honouring teams at the hospital is the correct thing to do.

“We have some tremendous people, and some remarkable teams and it is important that we take time out on occasions to recognise our achievements and our success, and that we celebrate them," said Mark.

“We want our patients to be involved in this process, which is why we include this Patient Choice Award as part of the evening.

“I would ask any patient, past or present, who has used our services and been particularly struck by the care they received from one of our members of staff or teams as a whole, to consider nominating them for this award.

“This is the first year that we’ve included the Team Patient Choice Award category, and I think it’s a rightful addition.

"Some of our patients might have had special care from one individual member of staff, while others have appreciated an overall team or multidisciplinary approach to their care.

This year’s Individual Patient Choice Award winner will follow in the footsteps of rehabilitation technician Kate Betts, the inaugural winner in 2016, staff nurse Pip Page-Davies, the public’s choice in 2017, and consultant orthopaedic surgeon Pete Gallacher.

Mr Gallacher said: “I was absolutely blown away when my name was read out as the winner of the Patient Choice Award last year. It was so unexpected but such a privilege to have been nominated by a patient in the first place.

“RJAH is a fantastic place to work, I work alongside some incredible colleagues at this hospital, who absolutely deserve this award. I would encourage any patient thinking about submitting a nomination to do so.”

People have until 5pm on Monday, September 2 to submit a nomination for the Patient Choice Awards.

Nominations should be emailed to rjah.awards@nhs.net under the subject line ‘Patient Choice Award’, or by writing to Patient Choice Award nomination, Trust Offices, The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry, SY10 7AG.